Point Arena Cove
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
5Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 5 ft swell at 10 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft16 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,737kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,636kJ
- Wind
- SE 15 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,171kJ
- Wind
- NE 5 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Thu 5 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 494kJ
- Wind
- NNW 11 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 2,545kJ
- Wind
- N 13 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 2,602kJ
- Wind
- NNW 9 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 865kJ
- Wind
- N 6 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 146, fair
- Mon 20, too big
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 523, poor
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 80, too big
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 106, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–12 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Sep–Dec1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 46, fair | 3 ft13 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 295kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 13 knots | 15°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft16 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 1,737kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft12 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 1,636kJ | wind from the south-east, 15 knots | 15°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft9 ssoft9 ft at break (est.) | 1,171kJ | wind from the north-east, 5 knots | 16°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 23, poor | 5 ft10 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 494kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 11 knots | 16°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft12 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.) | 2,545kJ | wind from the north, 13 knots | 17°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft12 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 2,602kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 9 knots | 17°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft10 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 865kJ | wind from the north, 6 knots | 16°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft10 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.) | 1,784kJ | wind from the north, 7 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 6, poor | 4 ft10 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 270kJ | wind from the south, 19 knots | 16°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Sun 1 NovHigh 04:55 +0.5 mLow 09:44 +0.0 mHigh 15:18 +0.7 mLow 22:42 −1.1 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:49 +0.6 mLow 11:14 −0.1 mHigh 16:44 +0.6 mLow 23:42 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:35 +0.6 mLow 12:30 −0.3 mHigh 18:09 +0.5 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Sep–Dec
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Point Arena Cove on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Point Arena Cove
More surf near here
3 places
- Moat creek 4.9 km away
- Manchester Beach 6.6 km away
- Schooners Gulch 7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Point Arena Cove
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (224°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (44°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 29). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 11°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 14°C in October, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually September, October, November and December, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Point Arena, 1.8 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 13°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,200–US$2,160 each
about US$1,200–US$2,160 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SMF, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$255–US$523 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$147–US$241 |
| Total | about US$1,200–US$2,160 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Point Arena
3 min by car · 4 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Point Arena its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 9h 40m
About 9h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SMF, direct, then 3h 30m by road
Flights MDW → SMF on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.